Structural connection for beds and the like



Nov. 28, 1967 c. T. MARTIN STRUCTURAL CONNECTION FOR BEDS AND THE LIKEFiled NOV. 30, 1966 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,354,475 STRUCTURALCONNECTION FOR BEDS AND THE LIKE Chester T. Martin, Box 33, McColl, S.C.29570 Filed Nov. 30, 1%6, Ser. No. 597,987 4 Claims. (1C1. -93) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A quickly releasable connection or joint for the sideand end sections of doll beds and like articles employing opposedkeyhole slots and coacting headed fasteners carried by arms which aretensioned toward locking positions.

As compared to the prior art, the invention provides a more economicaland a more simplified joint or connection between the side rails of acrib or doll bed and the head and foot boards thereof. Additionally, theassembly of the parts is greatly facilitated and the con nected memberswill not separate until pressure is applied to the resilient armextensions of the side rails. Brackets, screws and other separablefasteners commonly employed in the prior art are eliminated and thereare no loose parts in the assembly likely to be lost. In thisconnection, the invention is particularly applicable to articles sold tothe retail customer in a knock-down condition to be erected by thecustomer upon removal from the package.

Other objectives of the invention will be apparent during the course ofthe following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a doll bed embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 2-2of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2;and

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal fragmentary section taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE3.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 19' designates a dollbed or the like in its entirety having head and foot boards or panels 11and 12, connected with the opposite ends of side members 13 by means ofa connection or joint forming the subject matter of the invention. Aremovable bed bottom 14 rests upon the side members 13, as shown.

The connection proper which embodies the invention is shown in detail inFIGURES 2 through 5. Referring to these figures, each side member 13comprises upper and lower bars 15 and 16 connected at intervals byspindles 17 rigid therewith. The endmost spindles 17' of each sidemember 13 are secured rigidly to the upper bar 15 but have a movingconnection with the lower bar 16 through the provision of a reducedlower end portion 18 surrounded by a spring 19 which merely serves as aguide. The lower end of the spring is seated in a recess 20 of the lowerbar or rail 16. This arrangement simply allows the end spindle 17 tomove axially under certain conditions relative to the lower bar 16. Aswill be explained, the spindle 17' moves with the upper bar 15 when thelatter is deflected during the operation of the invention. The spring 19is not relied upon as the force employed for producing the actualconnection of parts, in accordance with the invention.

The upper and lower bars 15 and 16 of the bed side Patented Nov. 28,T967 members inherently possess resiliency even though they are quitestiff, and the end portions of the bars may be manually deflectedinwardly as shown in broken lines at 21 in FIGURE 2. When released, thebars will return automatically to their normal parallel positions andthis characteristic is utilized in making the connection or joint of theinvention. The previously-described relative movement of the spindle 17and bar 16 makes possible the deflection or bending of the end portionsof the bars 15 and 16, as shown.

The extreme ends of each bar 15 and 16 carry screws or pin elements 22firmly anchored therein, having enlarged heads 23 spaced outwardly fromthe end faces 24 of the bars 15 and 16. The elements 22 are rigid withthe bars and move with the bars when they are deflected, as in FIGURE 2.

The leg members 25 of the head and foot boards 11 and 12 are eachprovided with vertically spaced oppositely formed keyhole slots in theirinner faces including large circularly curved entrance portions 26 andconnecting reduced portions 27 extending vertically in oppositedirections. These keyhole openings or slots face the ends of the bars 15and 16, as indicated in the drawings. The keyhole slots enter intointernal locking cavities 28 of the leg members 25 which are of the fullwidth of the larger slot portions 26, as shown in dotted lines in FIG-URE 3.

When the end portions of the bars 15 and 16 are in their normal parallelfully separated positions and relieved of bending stress, the headedelements 22 are in alignment with the narrow parts 27 of the keyholeslots, whereby the heads 23 may be disposed in the outer end portions ofthe internal locking cavities 28. This locking condition is shownclearly in full lines in FIGURE 2 and also in FIGURE 3. Whenever it isdesired to separate the head and foot boards 11 and 12 from the sidemembers 13 or fromone such member, the end portions of the bars 15 and16 are deflected inwardly as at 21 and this positions the heads 23'adjacent the large entrance portions 26 of the keyhole slots, wherebythe heads 23 may be withdrawn from the chambers 28 and the partsseparated.

In a similar manner, when the bed parts are being assembled orconnected, the end portions or bars 15 and 16 are deflected inwardly asin FIGURE 2 and the heads 23 are introduced through the large slotportions 26 and enter the internal locking cavity 28. The bars 15 and 16are released and return to their untensioned, parallel positions shownin FIGURE 2 where the elements 22 enter the narrow slot portions 27 andthe heads 23 are locked behind these narrow portions and disposed withinthe outer ends of the cavities 28, FIGURES 2 and 3. The head boards andside members are then securely and rigidly connected and cannot separateuntil the ends of the bars 15 and 16 are again deflected inwardly.

It should now be apparent that a quickly releasable connection betweenthe bed members is provided which involves no separable fasteners orbrackets likely to be lost during the erection or dismantling of thebed. The parts require only a simple manual manipulation for assemblingand disassembling and a fully knock-down construction is provided andalso one which is sturdy and very economical.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A quick releasable connection for a pair of substantially rightangular members, a portion of one member having a pair of spacedoppositely facing keyhole slots in one surface thereof and an internallocking cavity behind each keyhole slot in communication therewith, saidkeyhole slots having relatively wide entrance portions and relativelynarrow locking portions, a pair of spaced bars constituting parts of theother member and being normally parallel and susbtantially alignablewith said slots and including end portions adapted to be flexedlaterally, said end portions returning to normal parallel relation whenreleased, and headed pin-like elements anchored to the ends of said barend portions with the heads thereof spaced from the ends of the bar endportions, said heads adapted to pass through the relatively wideentrance portions of the slots when the bar end portions are flexedlaterally and adapted to engage behind the relatively narrow lockingportions of the slots when the bar end portions are released, said headsbeing only slightly smaller than the relatively wide entrance portionsof the slots and substantially wider than the narrow locking portions ofthe slots.

2. The invention as defined by claim 1, and wherein the internal lockingcavities are of substantially the same width as the relatively wideentrance portions of the slots and extend somewhat beyond the relativelynarrow looking portions of the slots so that said heads while in thelocking position have a wall of substantial width on both sides thereofto prevent appreciable movement of the heads.

3. The invention as defined by claim 1, and wherein the relativelynarrow locking portions of the keyhole slots extend outwardly inopposite directions relative to a point between the keyhole slots andsaid bar end portions being flexed laterally inwardly toward each otherto position said heads in alignment with the relatively wide entranceportions of the keyhole slots, said heads returning outwardly with thebar end portions upon release of the latter.

4. The invention as defined by claim 3, and a spindle element extendingtransversely between the bar end portions and rigidly connected to onebar end portion and having a relatively movable connection with theother bar end portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,243 2/1893 Franks 599 963,2737/1910 Brownlee 599 3,026,543 3/1962 McPhaden 5100 CASMIR A. NUNBERG,Primary Examiner.

1. A QUICK RELEASABLE CONNECTION FOR A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHTANGULAR MEMBERS, A PORTION OF ONE MEMBER HAVIG A PAIR OF SPACEDOPPOSITELY FACING KEYHOLE SLOTS IN ONE SURFACE THEREOF AND AN INTERNALLOCKING CAVITY BEHIND EACH KEYHOLE SLOT IN COMMUNICATIN THEREWITH, SAIDKEYHOLE SLOTS HAVING RELATIVELY WIDE ENTRANCE PORTIONS AND RELATIVELYNARROW LOCKING PORTIONS, A PAIR OF SPACED BARS CONSTITUTING PARTS OF THEOTHER MEMBER AND BEING NORMALLY PARALLEL ANS SUBTANTIALLY ALIGNABLE WITHSAID SLOTS AND INCLUDING END PORTIONS ADAPTED TO BE FLEXED LATERALLY,SAID END PORTIONS RETURNING TO NORMAL PARALLEL RELATION WHEN RELEASED,AND HEADED PIN-LIKE ELEMENTS ANCHORED TO THE ENDS OF SAID BAR ENDPORTIONS WITH THE HEADS THEREOF SPACED FROM THE ENDS OF THE BAR ENDPORTIONS, SAID HEADS ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH THE RELATIVELY WIDEENTRANCE PORTIONS OF THE SLOTS WHEN THE BAR END PORTIONS ARE FLEXEDLATERALLY AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE BEHIND THE RELATIVELY NARROW LOCKINGPORTIONS OF THE SLOTS WHEN THE BAR END PORTIONS ARE RELEASED, SAID HEADSBEING ONLY SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE RELATIVELY WIDE ENTRANCE PORTIONSOF THE SLOTS AND SUBSTANTIALLY WIDER THAN THE NARROW LOCKING PORTIONS OFTHE SLOTS.